Has anyone travelled between Ireland & UK since the new rules came in on Jan 1st??

I emailed the ministry as their website says all dogs must be vaccinated against rabies & have a passport to enter the UK then the following paragraph says it wont be checked.

The ministry very helpfully quoted their website back to me in their reply!!

If anyone has done the trip with or without passports can you tell me what I need to do? I have the forms to apply for the passports & my vet quoted me for the rabies vaccinations.

Is there a fee for the passport itself??

sins

14th May 2012, 01:42 PM

Yes, we were stopped in March, but noone asked for passports for the dogs.Nothing more than a cursory look over them.
We passported ours,there's no fee for the passport,only whatever your vet charges for signing the form and veryfying the microchip.If you want to get your passport back quickly,give a travel date on your application form.
Also,you can get your passports without the rabies vaccine,although my vet advises to get it done as with the relaxation of quarantine regulations,there's an increased risk of dogs carrying rabies from eastern Europe.
Sins

Dublin

14th May 2012, 08:40 PM

Thats great Sins, thanks for the advice.

Im going in August so gonna send in the application forms this week & then get the vacc's in the next few weeks.

Just one more thing - how long are the vaccinations valid for? When I worked in quarentine (10 years ago) they lasted 2 years.

sins

14th May 2012, 08:57 PM

You can add a photo as well if you wish of the dog.
That link gives details for vaccine validity.
http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/pets/getapetpassport/informationforveterinarypractitioners/
Let us know how the vaccinations go and how much hassle is involved in having them done.
Have a good trip in August.
Sins

Dublin

15th May 2012, 09:11 PM

Ah great thanks!

Will let u know how we get on

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Karlin

15th May 2012, 10:51 PM

Rabies is known by researchers to last considerably longer than 2 years in most dogs, but the 'official' length is still 1 or 2 years. There's an attempt to prove they last longer to get a change in vax requirements in the US at the moment (the Rabies Challenge). Personally I wouldn't get rabies unless you are leaving the UK/Ireland, but that's me. It is one of the vaccinations with a higher level of reactions. I'd think the risk of coming across a rabid dog would be minute. I have never heard of such a case here or in the UK and it would get widespread attention (even in the US where there is rabies, you get a lot of media attention simply if a rabid bat is found, for example -- and I recall very few cases of dogs with rabies. On the other hand if I were attending shows and mixing with lots of international dogs, then it could make more sense. :)

There's info on rabies vaccines on Dr Jean Dodds' website.

Dublin

17th May 2012, 08:46 AM

Thanks Karlin.

The last report (as far as i know) of dog rabies in the UK was in 1969 when a dog who was in quarantine at the time had come from Germany & had actually spent his 6 months in quarantine & then was still with the kennel owners as the dogs owners had been delayed getting to the UK, the dog was in kennels a total of 7 months before rabies was detected. So i know the risks are low but I also dont want my dogs confiscated due to no rabies vaccination.

During the time I worked in quarantine in the UK we would have vaccinated thousands of dogs & I dont recall a single dog showing reactions to the vaccination & we would have vaccinated everything from Chihuahua's to Irish Wolhounds. The vaccinations we used lasted for 2 years but i imagine because they were coming into the country that many of them were not vaccinated again unless they were traveling again.

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Dublin

21st May 2012, 06:07 PM

So today we started the ball rolling....

Paperwork all completed & signed by the vet & sent in tonights post.
Rabies vaccinations given.

Now I have to wait for the passports to be issued to my vet - should take aprox 10 working days from the ministry receiving my applications.

The vet told me (& showed me the paperwork for the vaccinations) the rabies vaccinations last for 3 years.

Sins - there was no probs with the vaccinations, I called to make the appointment on friday & they said they keep them in stock. Both dogs were fine having the vaccination, Lucy found it a but stingy/itchy for about 30 seconds after but is fine now.
For the 2 vaccinations was €100. - my vets give a 10% discount for more than one vaccination (same with boosters & KC vac's)

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Dublin

29th May 2012, 10:58 AM

My vet just called to tell me that my passports are there & ready!!
So from sending off the application the whole process took 6 days!